Toshihiko Tanabe | Creative Person of the Year | Co-Founder & Creative Director, tsuzuku | ex-Creative Director, Dentsu Inc. (Japan)
There is one thing that every creative in the world aspires to achieve – to be recognised as the best in their field. This is exactly what Toshihiko Tanabe managed to achieve when he was awarded the title of the Creative Person of the Year. This longtime Creative Director at Dentsu, the fifth-largest advertising agency network in the world, is empowering brands through various channels of creativity while successfully achieving his goal – going beyond advertising. Now this mission has continued at his own company tsuzuku, which quickly became the most awarded Creative Director Collective in Tokyo.
Tanabe’s impressive portfolio of global campaigns includes brands like Toyota, Red Bull, Lexus, PlayStation and even Madonna. He is obviously not a stranger to exploring and advancing various markets with creativity – he worked in market categories such as PR, Film, Social & Influencer and Mobile, all while showcasing his holistic and media-neutral approach.
Born in Tokyo and raised in 7 different countries around the globe, Tanabe is renowned for his wide spectrum of creative work, which also includes helping Madonna launch her skincare. His field of work ranges from concepting business models for upcoming ventures, creating a music festival for Red Bull and designing headphones for Bose that were sold out in days. Along the way, he’s also been awarded at Cannes Lions and Clio, among many others.
Don't Let 'Purpose' Ruin Our Industry
In today’s world, when contributing to a better society is the norm, brands are being told that they need to have more purpose because they can’t form a relationship with consumers without a cause. However, consumers can detect bulls*it really easily and superficial campaigns are at best ignored and at worst actively harmful to brands. Don't Let 'Purpose' Ruin Our Industry will look at how to find the right connections, keep the authenticity, and play a role in creating a better world – without ruining our industry.